Partnership Results in 79 New Shade Trees for Northeast Wilmington

Posted on 10/08/2013 5:14 pm

The City of Wilmington is one of only 10 cities nationwide to receive TD Bank Green Streets USA funding.

A partnership between the City of Wilmington, Delaware Center for Horticulture, Arbor Day Foundation, and TD Bank is resulting in 79 new shade trees planted at various locations in Northeast Wilmington. Wilmington is one of only 10 cities in the nation that has received a TD Bank Green Streets USA Grant, a program that supports innovative community forestry projects in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods.

On Friday, September 27 adult and teen volunteers and TheDCH staff planted trees at two sites: New Destiny Fellowship on E 16th Street and Moyer Academy on E 17th St in Wilmington. Additional trees were also planted last week at Elks Lodge on the Brandywine at E 13th Street to round out the effort.

TheDCH has worked with communities to plant more than 11,000 trees statewide since 1982. The TD Green Street grant that funded TheDCH-coordinated planting day supports Wilmington’s Community Forestry Program priorities to increase citizen involvement, plant more trees, and preserve existing tree canopy.

“It is truly an honor to have been awarded the TD Bank Green Street grant,” said Mayor Dennis P. Williams. “With the support of the Delaware Center for Horticulture, Arbor Day Foundation and TD Bank, we were able to plant trees in some of the neighborhoods that need greenery the most. Trees bring pleasantness to our communities, in addition to all of the environmental benefits which support Wilmington becoming cleaner, safer and smarter.”

The trees count towards Plant One Million, a tri-state campaign to restore tree coverage across 13 counties in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In addition, 2013 marks the 20th year that Wilmington has qualified as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. In honor of the Plant One Million collaboration, top leaders from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) attended the tree planting and ceremony on September 27.

In a public ceremony celebrating the greening effort, City of Wilmington Director of Parks and Recreation Claude McCrea accepted an award and thanks on behalf of the City, and New Destiny Fellowship Apostle Thomas Wesley Weeks, Sr. and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society President Drew Becher shared comments.

Plant One Million was launched by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) in 2011 in partnership with the Delaware Center for Horticulture, New Jersey Tree Foundation, City of Philadelphia TreePhilly program, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources TreeVitalize program. To date, more than 262,000 trees have been planted in the tri-state area.